Facilities Increase but Water Usage Remains the Same? ... This Place Votes 'Can't Trust Tesla'

Tesla Plans Up to 500,000 Annual Production at German Gigafactory
Factory Expansion Aims to Increase Output to 1 Million Units

A view of Tesla's Gigafactory located in Brandenburg, on the outskirts of Berlin [Photo by Tesla]

Tesla has announced plans to expand its European production base, the Gigafactory in Germany, prompting local residents to hold a referendum on the matter.

On the 15th (local time), local media such as dpa news agency and rbb broadcast reported that residents of Gr?nheide, Brandenburg, where Tesla's German factory is located, began voting on whether to convert 100 hectares (1 million square meters) of forest from a landscape protection area to industrial use. The 7,600 residents will participate by mail until July 16, and while the vote has no legal binding force, local authorities and the parliament stated that the results will be an important basis for deciding whether to approve Tesla's plans.

Tesla intends to build a freight warehouse and a daycare center on the expanded site. Tesla submitted a land use application to the Brandenburg authorities last year but has not yet received approval. Tesla plans to increase the production capacity of the German Gigafactory from the current maximum of 500,000 vehicles per year to 1 million vehicles in the long term.

Tesla has been pursuing the establishment of the factory on the outskirts of Berlin since 2019. However, due to opposition from environmental groups, full operation only began in March 2022. Nevertheless, protests from residents concerned about water shortages and forest destruction continue regarding the expansion plans. Tesla held a briefing for local residents the day before, stating that even if the site is expanded this time, the production facilities will not increase, so water usage will remain unchanged.

Meanwhile, this year, the global electric vehicle market is expected to slow down in growth compared to last year due to reduced purchasing power caused by government subsidy cuts. A report published by market research firm Canalys estimated that 13.7 million electric vehicles were sold last year, growing by 29% thanks to government incentives. However, the report forecasts that the global electric vehicle market will grow by 27.1% this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.